Doll House
by Ming-Chan
Summary: The F4 and Makino are all set for fun and relaxation during their winter break at a new resort. However all is not well at this particular villa. Strange noises and odd happenings occur to disrupt the peace. Peace among the gang and within their own minds
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Hana Yori Dango does not belong to me. It belongs to the wonderfully talented Yoko Kamio. The only thing that belongs to me is the plot line. Any resemblance of it to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Please respect intellectual property. If my story in anyway resembles certain stories it is purely coincidence and if for some reason I do take a certain Idea I will be sure to give that person credit.

Prologue

_Shattered hope_

_And broken dreams,_

_My nights are filled_

_With tortured screams (Echoes of the Night by: HYD4Ever)_

Doll House - Prologue

A cold breeze rustled the slightly parted curtains; the only sound that could be heard in the silent room. Bright moonlight pours in through the window casting dark shadows across the plush beige rug.

A light scraping noise breaks the stillness. A pained whimper resonates off the walls as a dark figure crawls on the ground. Dark sticky fluid trails along the hard wood floors seeping into the grains of wood.

The young girl pushed herself up on shaking arms using the walls as a support. Sweat poured down her ashen face as she leaned, exhausted against the now blood stained wall. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she fought to regain her composure.

The sudden inhalation of air caused her to choke and sputter. The metallic taste of regurgitated blood filled her mouth. She spat it on the floor regarding it with disgust. She pushed shaking fingers through her shoulder length dark hair.

She examined the room around her. The silver light of the moon made the splotches of blood appear black. She shifted slightly, and regretted it immediately. The sudden movement caused her to wince as a burning pain tore up her ruined side. Glancing down she pressed asmall pale hand against her wound.

_Creak. __  
_

She froze, panic and alarm filling her dark eyes. Her head shot up nervously glancing at the partially closed door that she had used to enter the room.

_Creak. _

Footsteps, they were the sound of footsteps steadily coming closer. She could feel the slight dip of the wood floor through the white plaster wall, the only thing blocking her from what lay in waiting outside. Placing a small hand on the dividing wall she held her breath.

_Creak. _

Her eyes darted frantically around the room. Only one thought pervaded her mind; and that was to hide. Keeping one arm over her injury, she bit her lip and struggled to pull herself towards the door.

_Creak. _

Closer, they were getting closer. Momentarily forgetting her side she used her two arms to propel herself forward.

_Creak._

Her hands slid across the slick floorboards.

_Creak._

A little more.

_Creak._

They were so close. She was getting frantic. She forced herself on her knees and scampered as quickly as her injury would allow.

The polished mahogany door swung open, thudding against the wall dully. A tall figure stood in the doorway. Dark penetrating eyes follow the trail of sticky fluid across the floor ending in front of the closet.

_Go away!_ Pleaded the young girl to herself. Her eyes were squeezed shut, hand clamped tight over her mouth to stifle her breathing, praying very hard not to be found. Flicking long dark hair over their shoulder, the individual strode purposefully towards the closet. They reached their hand out, grasped the handle and swung it open.

"What the—?" The closet was empty. A thud behind them caused them to turn in confusion. The young girl ran out of her hiding spot from behind the door and dashed out of the room.

With a roar, the person shot forward and followed after the girl. Their heavy footsteps bounded across the carpeted hallway. The little girl ran down the corridor. Taking a sharp turn to the right she stopped and pressed her back firmly against the wall her chest heaving. The footsteps behind her slowed.

"Sweetheart, you don't have to hide from me. Come on, I'm not going to hurt you." There was a pause before they continued. "I'm just trying to protect you."

_Their voice is so soft; almost gentle. _She thought to herself. But she knew better. Beneath that gentle tone she could hear the underlying threat.

"Come on out now…" The sounds of footsteps were so light; the young girl had to strain to hear them.

_Where are they I can't hear anything. _She held her breath and listened. The faint tap of tree branches brushing the windows and the occasional gust of wind blowing against glass was the only things she could pick up. The pressure in her chest increased but she ignored it. Her blood was pounding in her ears.

Exhaling slowly, she steeled herself and slowly glanced around the corner. She could see nothing but shadows enveloping the hallway. There was no sign of her assailant. _Where are they? _Inching herself slowly forward, she moved to get a better look. Nothing. A sudden movement at the corner of her eye caused her to jerk back in alarm. She cried out in alarm as two strong arms seized her in an iron grip bruising the sensitive flesh.

"Stop running away from me! Why are you always running from me? I won't allow it! I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!"

"P-please s-stop it!" The girl sobbed trying with all her might to force them away. She could feel the flesh of her side tear. More blood soaked her shirt dripping down her leg. Hot tears coursed uncontrollably down her cheeks, the blood loss was causing her to feel light headed. Black stars danced before her eyes before exploding into blinding light.

"YOU WILL NOT LEAVE! I WILL NOT LET YOU! NEVER! NEVER!"

But the little girl could not hear anything anymore. Everything was fading, the sounds of shouting and the pain all faded into nothingness and all was silent.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

The shrill cry of the alarm clock jolted Tsukushi from her sleep. Her dark brown eyes shot open and she sat up abruptly in her futon. Shutting off her alarm she took a breath to calm her nerves. Running a hand through her disheveled hair she let out a sigh. She glanced down at the book by her pillow picking it up and slowly leafing through the pages.

"That is the last time I borrow books from Shigeru." With a heavy sigh she dropped back down on her futon for some more shut eye.


	2. The Scent of a Rose

Disclaimer: I don't own HYD no matter how much I would wish it too.

Piglet: Thank you very much for the kind review. I'll try to update as often as I can but my computer is being weird and I'm having trouble with my internet connection so we'll see how it goes.

Swtangel: Freaky in a good way? Haha, I hope so. But don't worry I do plan to finish all of the stories that I have planned out. It's just a matter of how much time I am able to find to write them.

Shierri: I'm not sure if I will write a lime moment or not…I need to keep in mind that the computer I use is not used by me alone…so we will see.

Sunspotmisery: Thank you and I will try to update as often as I can.

_How amazing and cruel human beings are,_

_Evil runs deep in the hearts of men and women._

_How dark are their souls,_

_How small their minds,_

_How little they actually care._

_Humanity is a mockery,_

_The very epitome of what they despise._

_And we are all the same… (Human Nature By: Ming-Chan)_

The Scent of Roses

"Come on Makino, what do you say?"

"Makino-sempai it'll be worth it."

"Tsukushi please say you'll come!"

The girl in question stared at her friends around the table. For the past twenty minutes Soujirou, Akira, Rui, Shigeru and Sakurako had been trying to convince her to take a vacation. Soujirou's family had just purchased a new winter villa in the mountains of Kyoto, just north of Gion Kobu. (1) And he was inviting the whole gang to come and hang out.

"I don't know. I need to work over the break." Tsukushi said while slowly stirring her tea.

"But, Tsukushi-chan it does sound fun." Yuki chirped.

"See even Yuki agrees with us." countered Akira.

"You know what they say all work and no play makes the working virgin—" Soujirou abruptly stopped upon seeing the popping vein on Tsukushi's forehead. "I mean…ah this is good tea." He quickly looked away and took a sip from his cup.

"Anyways, I still don't know. Not only do I have to work but I'll be leaving Susumu by himself." Tsukushi reasoned.

"Susumu is a big boy he can take care of himself. It'll only be a little over a week, and he could always stay with your parents or over at a friends."

Yuki turned towards Tsukushi. Pushing back a short strand of her hair she smiled and said, "But think about it the accommodations are free, we're not going far, so traveling there won't be expensive and most importantly you have been telling me lately how tired you've been what with your classes and work. This is the perfect opportunity for you to unwind."

"Well…" She let out a sigh and weighed the option. It did sound nice. Ten days at a villa did sound very promising. There would be no work, no annoying brother bugging her to make him bentos and best of all she would be able to sleep in! That thought alone was enough to almost sway her decision. She opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it. _But what about the fresh wave of bills that were about to come up?_ Susumu wouldn't be able to work over the break to cover the expenses; he had a make up exam to take.

Her friends all looked at her expectantly. They leaned forward as she opened her mouth to speak.

"I still don't know. I'd like to, but I don't think that I should."

"But Tsukushi—" Shigeru whined.

"Tsukasa will be there." The voice was so soft that Tsukushi almost missed it. Everyone turned towards Rui who up until that point had not said a word.

"Do-Doumyouji is—" Tsukushi was stunned. Her mouth hung slightly agape. For two long years she had yearned and dreamt of the person who bore that name. They had been in constant contact since he left that fateful day.

"I thought he wouldn't be coming back for another two years though."

"The next merger Doumyouji Corp. will be dealing with is Kantagawa Ltd. They're a large exporting company. They're looking to expand their commodities and assets. This will be the first contract Tsukasa will be handling on his own. The Kantagawa headquarters is in Kyoto, and will be conducted in the Ichirikitei teahouse (2). When he's done he'll meet us there." Rui explained.

"But once it's been dealt with won't he have to go back to New York?"

Rui's mouth twitched up in the bare hint of a smile. "Every year the CEO of Kantagawa Ltd. holds a farewell party of the pervious year in honour of the coming new year. The merger will be falling in time with the party. Tsukasa has been invited as a guest there."

"Old Kantagawa is a partier, they'll be done the deals in a day or two, and the rest is set aside for leisure. He won't mind if Tsukasa wants to go somewhere else." Akira grinned.

Tsukushi digested this new bit of information. She weighed the options in her mind. She could ask Susumu if he wanted to stay with her parents. She knew he wouldn't mind. And the lure of seeing Tsukasa again now was enough to tip the scales in favour of going. Almost. Her friends leaned toward her expectantly eager to hear her decision.

"Well?" They chorused.

"I…"

"You…?"

"I'll talk to Susumu first and then I'll tell you." She smiled when Shigeru bounced up and down and ran over to hug her.

"Uwa! Tsukushi's coming! Tsukushi's coming!" she beamed her eyes alight with pleasure.

Tsukushi laughed trying to disentangle herself from the bouncy brunette. "It's not official. There is still the problem of the rent I have to pay. I can't pay for it if I won't be working."

"Don't worry; you left early last night from work so you didn't hear what Nakagawa-san said. She told me that she will be going to be giving us our pay cheques in advance, as well as a Christmas bonus because sales have been really good. And before you even ask, her nieces will be coming in to run the store because I asked her if it would be o.k. for us to take a few days off. Perfect ne?"

Tsukushi had to smile at her friend's thoughtfulness. A sudden beep made her look down. Her digital watch told her it was 6:00 p.m. "You guys I have to get home then so I can talk to Susumu, I'll call you Yuki to confirm if I'm going or not." With that she stood up to take her leave.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" Rui asked.

"No that's alright I can take the train." She waved goodbye to the others as she made her way to the front door of the café. She quickly jogged down the street in the direction of the subway.

………………………………………………

"Susumu I'm home!" Tsukushi called as she stepped into her darkened apartment. "Susumu? Are you in here?" She took off her shoes and jacket and placed her purse on the kitchen counter. She switched on the overhead light and looked around. The door to the balcony was slightly ajar, and the curtain was drawn across it. Through the translucent material she could faintly make out the silhouette of her brother.

"Why did you have the light off?" Suddenly Tsukushi's cell phone went off. The soft melody of Canon in D filled the small room. Turning around she snatched up her purse and dug around looking for her phone.

"I'll answer just wait." Her hand brushed against it and she quickly extracted it from her bag, flipping it open she pressed 'yes' and pressed it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Where have you been? I've been trying to call you since forever!"

"Well hello to you to." She rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's antics.

"Hi, where were you?" he asked impatiently.

"If you were trying to call me in the past 30 minutes I was on the train. Sorry I probably couldn't hear it ringing." She replied. She replaced her purse on the counter and walked over to the fridge. She opened it to take out a bottle of water. She untwisted the cap and took a long gulp.

"Ah, the train. So how are you? I haven't heard your voice in a while."

"Doumyouji, you called me this morning. Remember I was just going to take a bath, and then you made a perverted comment about wanting to know what colour panties I had on?"

"What do you mean perverted? Every man has those kinds of thoughts. You can't ridicule me for having young healthy thoughts. If anything I should be ridiculing you for your abnormalities. When was the last time you asked me what colour underwear I was wearing?"

Tsukushi rolled her eyes. "As I recall, Doumyouji Tsukasa, you seem very partial to sleeping in the nude."

"That is beside the point. When was the last time? Hmm?"

She was too tired to argue with him. She let out a sigh before replying. "Never."

"Exactly. That makes you the abnormal one. I win."

She just chuckled choosing not to dignify that statement with a response. Sometimes all she could do was laugh, his twisted sense of logic was just so…Tsukasa.

"So I heard you'll be meeting us in Kyoto after your merger goes through." She casually mentioned.

"Yeah, I will be—hey! How did you know about that? It was supposed to be a surprise!" She laughed lightly and sat down at hers and Susumu's small table.

"It was the only way Rui and everyone could convince me."

"Ohohoho. Thinking of me were you?"

"You wish."

"So you're going then?"

"Still not sure, I need to ask if Susumu will be O.k. without me."

"Good God woman, the boy is 17 I'm pretty sure he can take care of himself."

"Normally yes I would agree with you, but he has some make-up exams to take and there is no way in hell I'm letting him near the grill anymore. Not after that incident. I'm still finding bits of fish behind the fridge and stuck to the floor. Speaking of fish, I need to make dinner."

"All right. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Bye."

"Bye."

She pressed the end button but continued to look at the neon blue screen. When she usually hung up from a talk with him she always felt slightly hollow. But this time was different. She felt excited. Excited because she knew that she might be able to see him. The thought made her smile fondly. She put it down and stood up. Making her way to the kitchen, she opened up some cupboards taking out a small frying pan. She looked to her left and saw that Susumu had still not moved from the balcony.

"Susumu, what do you want for dinner?" He didn't answer. "Susumu?" Still nothing. _Did he fall asleep out there?_ She wondered.

She turned back, walking to the fridge. "I didn't get to go shopping this week so we'll be having eggs. Is that o.k. with you? Or do you want ramen noodles?" She looked up again, but he hadn't moved, nor did he give any indication of having heard her.

She put down the carton of eggs she had taken out and walked out of the kitchen area. She stood on the threshold leading to the living area. "Susumu are you listening to me?" Through the curtain she thought she saw his silhouette turn to face her. "Well? What do you want? Ramen or eggs?"

Before he could answer, her phone rang again. "Hold that thought."

Bending down she picked it up from the table. She flipped it open and pressed it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hi sis, were you on the phone with Doumyouji-nichan? I was trying to call you."

"Susumu!" She asked. "Where are you?"

"Oh I'm at Ozaki-kun's house. I just called to tell you that I won't be coming home tonight. We're both studying for our make-up exams. Well I got to go. I'll be home tomorrow. Bye!"

"Susumu wait—" Tsukushi didn't get a chance to finish for he already hung up. She slowly lowered the phone from her ear. She cautiously turned her head back towards the balcony. Whoever was there still had not moved. Carefully she reached her hand out and snatched the first thing she came into contact with. The umbrella leaning against the wall. She tightened her fingers around the curved handle and carefully took a step forward.

Her socks made no sound as she padded closer to the open balcony. She was reminded of the time that burglar broke into her apartment trying to steal her panties. He was never caught but he also had never showed up since then. Probably because he knew she was not alone. But this time she was. Susumu was with a friend and Doumyouji was halfway across the world. No one would be coming to help her. Her foot creaked as she stepped on a loose floor board. The sudden noise made her glance down in alarm. She stilled her movements holding her breath. Who ever was outside didn't notice. She swallowed thickly and warily stepped forward again.

The heavy feeling in her chest filled her with dread. It spread like stain enveloping her heart. Holding the umbrella in front of her like a sword she reached a tentative hand out and grasped the curtain. In one smooth motion she jerked it back.

"O.k. buddy! Get out or I'll call the po—" The words died in her throat for no one was on the balcony. She slid the door open and stuck her head out. She looked over the railing and down the street. Darkness was the only thing that greeted her. She strained her ears to try and pick up the sounds of footsteps running away. Silence. No steps. No yelling. There was nothing to indicate the presence of another person. She froze.

She carefully sniffed the air. There was…something…the faint smell of something sweet. It was so delicate she wasn't sure if it was really there. She stepped back into her apartment, confusion and uncertainty written on her face. The fact that there was no panty thief did not calm her. If anything it made the uneasy feeling in her chest worsen. What had she seen?

She carefully shut the door making sure to lock it tight. She drew the curtains and went to change into her pajamas.

As she settled into her futon she once again thought of the smell on the balcony. It was familiar. She was sure she knew what it was. Her eyes soon grew heavy. Her last conscious thought was of that smell. _It…it smelt like…roses…_

Her lids drooped and sleep finally claimed her. She was not aware of the dark gaze watching her.

**To be continued…**

Well it took me longer to finish this chapter than expected. Sorry if this chapter is bland. It's meant to just give background info. If anyone is wondering this is a TxT fic. They are already together because it is after the manga. But I'm not going to focus on them as a couple so much. Not for this story. I'll be focusing on more minor characters. So they're together but I'm not writing a lot of romance here. At least not a lot.

Gion Kobu is in Kyoto it's an actual place where tourists can go. It has a bunch of teahouses and Geisha (Geiko) that entertain there. The Dances of the Old Capital (Miyako Odori) take place there as well, which is an annual (dance, duh) festival. I believe they also perform the tea ceremony on stage as well. Participants are the active Geisha who work in Gion Kobu; they are the dance students from the Inoue School of dance in Gion. I apologize if I have gotten anything wrong. I need to brush up on my knowledge of Japanese cities, but that is the basics. Seeing as how Soujirou's family owns a tea school I'd imagine they would buy if not already own a home there.

(2) The Ichirikitei is a famous teahouse in Gion Kobu. A lot of old movies were filmed around that tea house or so I have heard. As well there was apparently the story of 47 (I think could be more) samurai who took their lives there via seppuku (I won't go into details basically you stab yourself) in order to follow their leader, who was actually alive, just hiding. Just a note I'm getting this info from Mineko Iwasaki's book: Geisha, A Life. And from my own knowledge. Again I apologize if there are any details I have missed or have gotten wrong.


	3. Getting Ready

Chapter Two – Getting Ready

Swtangel: Thank you for reading Make Me Sway. I am more of a TxT fan but I don't mind stories with alternate pairings as long as it doesn't portray Tsukasa as some jerk…not to knock the authors it's just that I love Tsukasa. It literally hurts my heart…haha…I may write Rui/Tsukushi stories in the future but all the ideas I have stewing away in my brain right now are all TxT stories. If you would like to see me write RxT I don't mind…umm…but you would have to give me the idea…haha…I think it would be a nice challenge. And as for writing more romance vs. horror, the genre of writing I am actually most comfortable with is angst. Most original works that I have written are usually serious and/or pretty dark. Horror is something I haven't really delved into a lot so that's why I'm trying my hand at it. (Little story preview: It gets really twisted closer to the end…I have it all planned out muwahahahaha!) If it's not as successful as say any romance that I write than so be it. I know it's not as good, because again I haven't had much practice so I'm doing this to get better. This is just a story idea that has been tickling me for some time and it's only now that I have decided and have had the time to write it out. But what ever happens I hope to get your continual support. Here's the next chapter enjoy!

Shierri: Thank you. I'll try to update as often as I can. I wonder it this is actually scaring anyone? I know that it's moving pretty slow now…I need to build suspense…I can't go too fast…but I promise the speed of the story will pick up really soon. Oh I am almost nearly done editing your first chapter. I'm at the flashback part. I will send it to you soon. I've just been so busy. I'll probably send them to you chapter by chapter. Enjoy the next installment!

NightHuntrezz: Is it actually scaring you? I hope so. I've been worrying that I'm not setting the right tone. But anyways thank you for reading my story. I hope that it continues to cause your head to turn. Hehehehe….but don't be alarmed at the hand on your shoulder…and those footsteps? Well… Haha I'm just kidding…or am I? O.k. I'll stop now.

SuKiss: Yay! You read my story! Thank you very much. I appreciate your input and the time you took to respond to my review request. I hope to hear more from you.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

"_I am Vindicated_

_  
I am selfish_

_  
I am wrong_

_  
I am right_

_  
I swear I'm right_

_  
I swear I knew it all along_

_  
And I am flawed _

_  
But I am cleaning up so well_

I am seeing in me now the things

_You swore you saw yourself." (Dashboard Confessional "Vindicated" Awesome song…download it if you can people!) _

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Getting Ready

The soft click of the lock turning stirred Tsukushi from her light sleep. Shifting in her futon she turned away from the door burrowing deeper into the warm haven of her comforter. From the edges of her consciousness she could feel the soft vibrations of feet pad across the small room stopping in the kitchen. Then silence reigned. Slowly Tsukushi began to once again drift off into a dreamless sleep.

"Sis shouldn't you be getting up now?" Tsukushi frowned. Her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly at the intrusion of noise.

"Sis you're going to mold lying there the whole day. Living a sedentary life is just going to add to your already immense body fat percentage. Not to mention Doumyouji – nichan won't—" Susumu never got to finish that sentence seeing as how he suddenly found his mouth filled with the material of Tsukushi's pillow. He pulled the offending object from his face and saw his sister facing him. Her right arm outstretched from having thrown the pillow at him. Her bleary sleep filled eyes glared at him silently in the early morning light filtering through the transluscent curtains.

"Must you be so loud?" She flipped back over facing away from him.

Susumu merely rolled his eyes and walked over to the balcony. He flung the curtains open allowing a generous dose of sunlight to wash over the small room. He stepped back letting the light hit his sisters face. Immediately she scrunched her face up drawing her arm across it in an attempt to block the rays of offending light. He sighed, leaned down, grasped the ends of her blanket and yanked it off her exposing her small figure.

"SUSUMU! I'm tired let me sleep!" She squirmed burying her face into her pillow.

"How can you be tired? When did you go to sleep?"

"Aboudthenminaftayoucarredbe." She muttered incomprehensibly into her pillow.

"Oh I'm sorry are you speaking Japanese or YIDDISH!"

"I said about ten minutes after you called me." She replied pulling herself up into a sitting position. She rubbed her face tiredly.

"But that was at 7:00 p.m. It's already 9:00 in the morning. That's more than 12 hours of sleep. How can you be tired? Don't tell me you're turning into Hanazawa-san!" He dropped down on the floor next to her.

She glared at him slightly. "No, I'm not turning (yawn) into Rui. I didn't get to sleep right away and when I finally did I kept waking up every hour or so." She explained. Slowly she rose to her feet and folded up her futon. She carefully stretched her back out rolling her shoulders to work out the kinks.

"So have you already eaten then?" She asked him.

"Oh yeah. Ozaki-kun's mom made us breakfast."

She nodded and head into the kitchen. She pulled out her bottle of water from last night and took a quick sip. "Oh, by the way Susumu, I have to ask you something." He nodded his head from his position on the floor indicating to her that he was listening.

"Nishikado–san was inviting me to a new home his family bought in Kyoto. The regular gang will be there. Do you think you'll be O.k. without me here?"

"When are you guys going and for how long?"

"They're going to leave in two days. We'd be gone for only ten days."

"O.k. sure go. Although I don't know why you're asking me." He replied.

"It's just I don't know if you'll be alright. You'll be studying for your exam. What will you do about groceries?"

He waved his hand dismissing her concerns. "Ozaki-kun's family owns a restaurant. Since I'm going to be studying with him most of the time, they asked me if I wanted to work there part-time. So my meals will be free."

She nodded her head putting her bottle of water down. "That's nice of them. Okay then. I'm going to call Yuki later and tell her I'm going. Could you pass me my towel? It's behind you; I'm going to take a bath." Susumu turned around to get her towel. He threw it to her. It sailed through the air tracing a blue fluffy arc. She easily caught it in her hand. She gathered the rest of her toiletries and some clothes and headed out the door. Her slippered (It's not a real word…you get the idea) feet made no sound as she walked down the hall to the public bathroom.

She knocked first and when no sound greeted her she opened the door and stepped inside. The bathroom was slightly humid. Someone else must have been in there before her. She turned on the shower head and waited for the water to heat up. Then she quickly undressed and stepped in. The hot water felt deliciously sinful against her tired shoulders. She let the warm stream blast her face for a while. Its warmth made her feel drowsy so she decreased the heat and allowed the cooler water to perk her up more. As she massaged the shampoo into her hair, its sweet smell reminded her once more of what she'd experienced last night.

_What was that? _She had poked her head out, but had seen nothing. The balcony apartment next to her had, had their laundry hung out on the line. One long night gown had been fluttering softly in the wind. Maybe its shadow had fallen across her window? _Is that what I saw?_ _But what about the smell? There are no gardens close by._

She sighed. It didn't really matter. As long as no one was out there. All the same she would have to tell Susumu to be careful. Once she was done she closed the tap and stepped out of the tub. She grasped her fluffy blue towel and wrapped it around her slim body. She quickly brushed her teeth, dried off and got dressed.

When she walked back into her small apartment she saw Susumu spread out along their floor reading his latest copy of _Shonen Jump_. She gently prodded his leg with her foot.

"Ne, Susumu—"

"Shh! Fuji is just about to release his triple counter on Kirihara Akaya!" (To all you Prince of tennis fans! Hehehe)

"Right…okay I'm going to call Yuki and ask her if she wants to go shopping with me then. Do you need anything? Exam books maybe?"

Without looking up from his magazine he shook his head no. "Have fun. But bring me back a souvenir."

She rolled her eyes. She grabbed her bag, keys, cell phone and jacket and headed out the door.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

"I'm so glad you decided to come with us Tsukushi! We haven't been on a trip together since Canada!" Yuki exclaimed.

Tsukushi smiled at her bubbly friend. "Hopefully I won't get caught in the snow again."

"Haha! Remember when we had Mimasaka–san dress up as that ghost?" She giggled remembering the sight of F4's resident connoisseur of older women wrapped in a bed sheet and standing in the freezing snow. "I wish we had caught that on camera."

Tsukushi smiled at the memory. It was only now that she could really say her short time spent in Canada was not so bad. If she took away the annoying girls tricking her and nearly getting her killed it wasn't that terrible. But then if it wasn't for them…

Yuki stopped laughing. "Ano, Tsukushi what's wrong with your face? You're really red."

"Eh?" She placed her hands against her flushed cheeks. "Oh it's just cold out here. Hehehe…" She rubbed her cheeks furiously trying to get rid of her blush.

"Stay here I'll get us a hot drink from that vendor. Be right back." Tsukushi watched her friend walk across the busy intersection heading towards the park. She turned around and squeezed her eyes shut. _Damn blush._

It's a good thing Yuki didn't ask her why she was blushing. She didn't want her to know what she was thinking about. Even now she could still feel those arms encircle her body. The heat of his body seeping into her own. His masculine scent surrounding her, filling her senses. All the blood in her body suddenly rushed up to fill her face at the memory. _Oh no! I'm turning red again!_ She fanned her face trying desperately to cool her flushed skin.

"Are you hot now? Should I get you a coke?" Tsukushi jumped and spun around quickly. Yuki stood behind her, her brow drawn in light concern; two cups of steaming coffee in each hand.

"Oh no! I'm fine. Thanks." She accepted the hot drink from Yuki and downed it all in one gulp. "Ah I feel better now." She smashed the cup in her hands and tossed it into the nearby garbage pail.

"Let us continue shopping." Then she turned, stiffly walking down the sidewalk towards the shops.

Without a word and with one eye brow raised Yuki followed her friend.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

"Susumu I'm back. I got take out for dinner!" Tsukushi declared as she pushed her way into the apartment. "Susumu where—" She stopped. Through the drawn curtain of the balcony she could make out the outline of a person.

She frowned. _So back for more huh? Well this time I'm prepared._ Carefully placing her grocery and shopping bags down she slipped her shoes off and stealthily moved across the room. On her way she passed the kitchen and picked up the nearest object to her. A frying pan. She gripped her hands tight around the handle. This time she was careful to avoid the loose floorboard as she made her way across the living room.

As she got closer she noticed that the sliding door was slightly ajar. She reached her hand out to pull it open. But before she could get to it, the door suddenly slid open. The person on the other side was stepping in, their face obscured by the curtain.

Tsukushi screamed, squeezed her eyes shut and swung the frying pan smacking the other person in the face.

"Hentai!"

The person grunted falling backward back onto the balcony.

"Itai! What the hell are you doing?" Taken aback Tsukushi opened her eyes. Susumu was sprawled out on the ground rubbing his wounded forehead. She yelped dropping the pan.

"I'm sorry!" She jumped out on the balcony to help him up. She pulled him into the apartment. She sat him down and went to the kitchen for some ice. "What were you doing out there?"

"I was using the phone." He leaned his head in his hands massaging the bruised flesh. "If I fail my exam it'll be your fault."

"Sorry." She handed him the ice pack which he pressed gently against his head. "I'll set up our plates. You hungry?" She quickly set up their plates and served out portions of the Chinese low mien and pot stickers. (A.N. Mmmm…pot stickers…)

After they ate, Susumu lay down to take a nap while Tsukushi cleaned up. As she set the last plate in the cupboard her cell phone went off.

She quickly dried off her hands and fished out the phone from her jacket pocket. "Hello?"

"Hey Makino."

"Hi Doumyouji."

"Are you coming to Kyoto?"

"Yeah, I talked to Susumu, he's fine with it. When will you be joining us?"

"You guys are leaving what, day after tomorrow right?"

"Yeah."

"I'll join you guys there the Friday then. Probably in the afternoon. But I'll see if I can leave earlier."

"Earlier? Will that be o.k.?"

"Makino, I haven't seen you in two years. If I can get to see you even an hour earlier do you think I would care?" He stated in a matter of fact tone.

She smiled to herself. "No."

"Good. Now I have to get ready for a conference today. But before I go, what colour panties you got on?"

"…"

"Well?"

She shook her head. And muttered to herself, "How did I get such a perverted boyfriend?" Then louder to him, "Look Doumyouji I do not own thongs or panties with pink frills or whatever else you can think of in that perverted mind of yours."

"Oh, I didn't ask what kind they were, but frills huh? Do I get to see them anytime soon?"

"…" She could hear him laughing to himself on the end of the line.

"I'm hanging up." She stated flatly.

"Want to know what I'm wearing?"

"Goodbye."

"It's Calvin Klein boxers with—" _Click._ She shut her phone off and stuffed it back into her jacket pocket.

"Stupid octopus."

**To be continued…**

Well then another chapter complete…sorry it's a filler chapter. I promise though the next chapter they will have already arrived at the villa and the plot will begin to develop and take more shape.

Well anyways please read and review. I always like to hear feedback from anonymous readers and other authors alike.

As well again sincere thanks to all my reviewers so far and to all silent readers. They really should have a feature that tells you how many hits your story gets too. That would be interesting. It's 12:30 and I have calculus to do. Until next time.


	4. The Hitchhiker

SuKiss: Wow…you honour me with all of your flattery. Thank you very much. Your feedback encourages me a lot. As well don't be afraid to tell me if you don't agree with something too. I can take it no worries. Hopefully everything will be to your liking but who knows...haha…but anyways I actually don't read Anne Rice or Stephen King. Never had and I don't think I ever will. It doesn't really interest me. I told Swtangel the reason I'm writing in this genre. In case you didn't read it I'll tell you as well. See I have this thing with originality. For myself I don't like writing using conventional methods/ideas. The way I write is usually very serious, very dark, and very pessimistic. The problem is that I felt that all my plot lines were too alike and thus redundant. I felt that I wasn't creative and that's why my stories were all alike. Theme wise that is. So I try to think of stories that have not really been seen or explored before. As I was looking through all the Hana Yori Dango fanfics, I noticed there were only two other horror oriented stories. And they were incomplete. So I thought it would be an interesting idea to write Doll House. I really want to explore different genres of writing to broaden my experience. But I suspected as you pointed out yourself, that in a series like HYD it doesn't really match which explains the relative lack of interest in my story. But I don't mind as long as some people enjoy it and get scared then I've gone my job. And I'm o.k. with that. But anyways, wow…I wrote a lot to you. Haha. Once again thank you for taking the time to write me a well rounded review. I value your opinion and I hope to hear more from you. Please enjoy the next chapter!

Swtangel: Hi there. I have seen Meteor Garden. Unfortunately I watched it without subtitles. But I knew what was supposed to happen so it didn't really matter. I have it with subs now so I am currently re-watching it. When I find time that is. I guess I will be writing a Rui/Tsukushi story possibly in the near future. But you didn't give me an idea for one. Well…I do have one situation I've been thinking of putting them in. It would be a one-shot though. Who knows I've started writing something…I may hold out on the fifth installment of this fic to finish it...but we'll see...And yes, twisted the plot will become, compliments of my deranged mind. Hope you like the next installment. Peace.

CrazyButterfly: Oh changed your penname I see. Very nice…hehe…are you getting excited? Hopefully I won't disappoint you then. I like hearing what you think of my work. Oh and by the way have you seen the show Maala aka mo kaya? I guess you probably have…I had never heard of it until now…my parents borrowed it from one of their friends and they've been watching it ever since. My dad was even crying. LOL. Oh man. Then he challenged me to watch it and see if I couldn't cry. If I didn't he said he'd pay me 50 bucks. I think I can do. I'm so unemotional and detached. Haha. Update The Man Behind the Corporation soon please! I can't wait to read what happens next! Your last chapter got me excited I even dreamed about it. Anyways I hope the next chapter is to your liking!

……………………………………………………………………………………………

_And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting_

_On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;_

_And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon that is dreaming._

_And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;_

_And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor_

_Shall be lifted –nevermore…. (The Raven By: Edgar Allan Poe AWESOME POEM!)_

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Chapter Three – The Hitchhiker

"Wah! The train moves so quickly!"

"Shigeru-san, is this your first time on the bullet train?" **(1)**Yuki asked.

She nodded her sandy hair bobbing up and down. Tsukushi laughed at her friend. Shigeru had her face pressed against the window, her hands spread out before her touching the cool glass, watching the scenery fly by at a speed of 200 mph.

"I was always driven around everywhere. And if we had to travel far we of course had our own private plane." She said turning back in her seat to face them. She smiled brightly. "Isn't this exciting? Ne Sakurako?" She nudged the girl in question beside her.

"Ugh, I don't know how you could find this exciting." She said covering her ears. "There are too many little kids running around. I should have gone with the F3." She stated grumpily watching a couple of toddlers run up and down the aisle.

Rui, Soujirou and Akira had all left earlier that day by private plane. Stating that they needed to keep up certain standards of travel to preserve their reputations. They asked if the girls wanted to come with them, but just going to Kyoto from Tokyo by plane seemed so unnecessary. Tsukushi sighed to herself. It would have been fun if they had all left together, but then again, Tsukushi couldn't picture such high class guys rubbing elbows with the general masses of the city.

"Sakurako it's not that bad. Besides we'll be there just as fast. The train only takes 2.5 hours to get there."

"I'd take privacy over speed any day." She said cringing again as the same two children sped past her in the aisle.

Tsukushi rolled her eyes, sighing. _Oh well._ The train suddenly ducked under a tunnel. For a minute, the car was plunged into darkness. To her right Tsukushi heard a heavy thud followed by the pained whimper of a child. In front of her she could hear Sakurako chuckle sadistically.

"Serves the kid right."

"Sakurako! That's not nice!" Shigeru whispered fiercely to her friend.

"I hope he's o.k." Came, Yuki's voice to Tsukushi's left.

Just as quickly as they had entered, the train pulled out from the tunnel; bright sunlight once again poured in through the glass windows. They had officially left the cityscape behind. To Tsukushi's right rose a spectacular view of Mt. Fuji. The mountain's slope was covered in a light layer of powdery snow. It's summit obscured slightly by a white mist.

She heard Shigeru gasp in delight. "Mt. Fuji looks so pretty!" She gushed. "Sakurako take a picture before we pass it! Yuki get in with me."

Tsukushi smiled and looked out the window once more. Something black caught her eye. She blinked and turned her head back just in time to see a small child with dark hair standing in the middle of the woods right at the edge of the tracks. "Aren't they cold?"

"Isn't who cold Tsukushi-chan?" Yuki asked her.

"There was a girl without a coat back there." She replied gesturing behind her. "On the edge of the tracks. We just passed her."

"I don't see anyone." Yuki stretched her neck trying to get a glimpse out the window.

Tsukushi quickly pressed her face against the cold glass straining her eyes to try and see as far back down the tracks as she could. White snow stretched as far as she could see. Her brows drew in confusion.

"Well there was someone there." She said as she sat back in her seat facing the others.

"Did you see something sempai?"

"I thought I did." Her voice was filled with uncertainty.

"Maybe you saw an animal? Or a hitchhiker?" Yuki supplied.

"Maybe. But a hitchhiker on the tracks?"

Yuki shrugged her shoulders.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

"Hoy! Makino! Yuki-chan! Shigeru! Sakurako! Over here!"

As the girls were exiting the train onto the platform they turned and spotted Soujirou on the edge of the crowded platform by the parking lot, waving at them.

He was standing in front of his silver Mercedes Benz. People, especially women, were milling about inspecting the hot car and the gorgeous man standing in front of it. But he ignored them all.

"Nishikado – san what a beautiful car!" Yuki exclaimed a white puff of air escaping her mouth. The air was cool, but it was sunny. He smiled at her and offered to put hers and the rest of their bags in the trunk. They piled in settling into the cars plush leather seats, eager to get out of the cold weather. Once they were all buckled up, Soujirou pulled out of the parking lot.

"How was your train ride?"

"It was really exciting! It goes super fast! 200 mph! We were sitting on the right hand side so we got to see this awesome view of Mt. Fuji!" Shigeru gushed while ticking points off on her hand. Her whole face was alight with pleasure.

He chuckled at her enthusiasm. He glanced in the rearview mirror spotting Sakurako's sour expression. "You don't look as happy Sakurako."

"Of course not. There were a bunch of kids running up and down the aisles making all this noise. The only good part was when the train ducked under a tunnel and one of them tripped."

"That wasn't good. The poor kid might've have been really hurt." Tsukushi reprimanded her. Sakurako just shrugged her shoulders.

"Anyways, Soujirou how far is it to the villa?"

"Oh it's about forty minutes outside of Gion Kobu. And we're not there yet. We'll be there in about an hour."

Tsukushi nodded her head. She looked out the window tuning out the voices of her friends as they continued to converse amongst themselves. She had been to Kyoto and Nara for her junior high trip with Yuki but they had not ventured to Gion. She had always wanted to visit the Karyukai to see the Geiko and Maiko. **(2) **

After a bit they ended up passing the Inoue School of dance. Tsukushi spied a few Maiko walking out of the school. Next they passed by the Ichirikitei. She stared in awe at the shops, landmarks and busy streets filled with people going about, snapping a picture or two occasionally. Soon they left the city. The houses were getting sparser as they continued east.

Soujirou took a right turn off the paved road onto a secluded road. They were about to enter a wooded area at the top of a slight incline. Yuki, Shigeru, Sakurako and Soujirou continued chatting quietly amongst themselves. As they rolled steadily forward Tsukushi could hear the thin layer of snow crunch under the weight of the car.

The trees stretched into the darkening sky. Their barren limbs extended towards each other creating an archway above the road. Each branch was encased in a small blanket of snow and ice. It would have made an enchanting sight, like slender hands gently protecting them from the outside world. But in the fading light of the approaching evening they looked more like thin fingers clawing at one another.

"Ah! It's kind of warm in here. Can we open the window for a little bit?" Shigeru asked while fanning herself lightly.

"Of course you're warm. You've been talking and gesturing with your hands a lot." Sakurako said. "Besides it's too cold now to open the window."

"Oh I won't open it wide just a crack." She insisted. "Tsukushi can you roll your window down a bit?"

Tsukushi complied. She pressed the small silver button allowing the window to open.

"Thanks Tsukushi."

A cool draft of air suddenly blew into the car. The cold air rushing into the warm vehicle created a faint moaning sound; the kind that rattles the windows creating a howling noise. A gust of wind blew through the trees. The sounds of the ice covered branches rustling against one another added to the haunting melody of the woods. The last rays of the setting sun filtered through the bare branches reflecting off of the ice.

_They sound like voices. _Tsukushi thought to herself. At the disturbing thought she gave an involuntary shudder. She could feel her chest tighten in apprehension.

"Tsukushi-chan are you cold?" Yuki asked from behind her.

"Just a little bit." She said with a forced smile.

"Gomen Tsukushi, you can roll the window back up I'll manage. It's not that much farther right Soujirou?"

"No actually we're already here. This is the driveway. Once we clear the trees in a minute you'll be able to see the house."

"This is already the driveway? How big is this property?" Yuki asked.

"Does it matter?"

She didn't get a chance to respond. The woods abruptly ended and before them rose one of the nicest homes Tsukushi had ever laid her eyes on. It was smaller than she imagined considering the size of the driveway. But it was nonetheless charming. It was cottage style; which was unusual for this part of Gion. It looked more like a home out of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Powdery light snow covered the thatched roof. A few remaining tendrils of ivy clung to the sides of the dark brick walls. At the sides of the entrance were two tall windows. Large white drapes were drawn across them. Along the second story were a row of windows. Bedrooms, Tsukushi assumed.

The car rolled to a stop in front of the large front door. The group of friends exited the vehicle.

"Wah! It's such a cute house!" Shigeru exclaimed. "This is an unusual design for a house here though isn't it?"

"Well the curator tells me that the original owner of the house spent time in the English country side. Apparently, he liked the architecture so much that when he returned to Japan, he had his house, this very one, built in that style." Soujirou informed them. He popped open the trunk and extracted their bags. As he closed it, the dark mahogany front door creaked open. Akira popped his head out.

"Hey took you guys long enough!"

"Yo Akira!"

"You know Soujirou; you should really get this door oiled." He said swinging the door back in forth. The creaking echoed in the cold air. He looked back up at them. "Aren't you guys going to come in?"

"We would, but you seem too preoccupied with inspecting the door." That remark earned Soujirou the finger, compliments of Akira. The girls laughed and began to walk up the stone steps toward the entrance.

Tsukushi had a somewhat difficult time dragging her luggage up the steps and consequently ended up dropping her purse, its contents spilling out onto the snow covered ground.

Sakurako looked back spying Tsukushi picking up various things from the ground. "Need help sempai?"

Tsukushi glanced up from the ground. She pushed her hair out of her face to see Sakurako looking down at her. "Oh no I'm fine. You go inside. I'll join you in a minute." She said dismissing her concerns with a wave of her hand.

"O.k."

Tsukushi stuffed the remainder of her things into her purse and straightened up. She grabbed the strap of her duffle bag and started back up the stairs again. Movement to her right caused her to turn suddenly. Nothing but barren vegetation. She focused her gaze on a large weeping Sakura tree to her right. Its thin ice covered branches swayed gently in the wind. Occasionally hitting one another.

She turned her head away. She glanced up at the house. It kind of reminded her of Doumyouji's villa in Canada. The sun had already set, but there was still a crimson light colouring the western sky, a few white clouds dotted the darkening heavens. She stopped and squinted her eyes upward. There was something in one of the second story windows.

Half hidden in darkness behind the creamy white drapes stood a young girl in her night gown. Her dark hair brushed her thin shoulders. A sharp contrast to her small pale face. Tsukushi waved her hand at the girl in greeting. Instead of waving back the girl seemed to take a step back, blending into the shadows of the upstairs hall. Tsukushi's brow creased slightly in puzzlement.

_Maybe she's shy?_ She thought to herself.

"Makino, do you plan on staying outside tonight?" She averted her gaze to see Akira staring at her, one hand on the door waiting for her to come in. He noticed her slightly bemused expression. "Something wrong?"

"No, sorry…I…was just…admiring the house."

"Well you can do that tomorrow. We've been waiting for you guys so we can eat. Get in here its freezing." He said gesturing to her with his hand for her to hurry up.

She quickly hauled herself up the stone steps and walked in. Akira shut the heavy door closed behind her. She set her bags down and looked around. The front entrance was so much bigger than she imagined. The ceiling was high. In the center of it was an ornate chandelier. It's pleasant light filling the room. A large sweeping staircase was the focal point of the room. At the top of the flight of steps was an enormous oil painting of a Heian princess sitting on a grassy knoll. She looked peaceful and serene looking our over a sparkling silver stream. Pink cherry blossom petals fell softly around her landing in her hair and drifting in the water. The hard wood floors were stained a rich brown colour. It gleamed beautifully under the gentle light.

"Tsukushi let's go to our rooms now." Yuki said breaking her out of her admiration She nodded her head and picked up her things once again. The girls Akira and Soujirou onto the second floor.

"Will we be sharing rooms Nishikado – san?"

"You can share a room with me Yuki if you like." Tsukushi shot him a glare before smacking him upside the head.

"Don't even think about it you perverted playboy!"

"Ow! Relax. The house has ten guest rooms. There are enough for everyone." Soujirou and Akira led them into the east wing of the house where there were a row of closed doors. Five on each side.

"These are the rooms. The one's on the left have balconies that face the terrace in the back. The ones on the right have their own personal bathrooms. The ones with the balconies have washrooms too but you have to share them with the person beside you."

The first three rooms on the left were already occupied by the Akira, Soujirou and Rui respectfully. Shigeru took the one after Rui claiming she liked balconies. Yuki and Sakurako opted for two rooms on the right. **(3)**

"Where is Hanazawa Rui?" Tsukushi asked noticing that she had not seen her friend yet.

"Oh, he's taking a nap in his room right now. He claimed that he didn't get enough sleep earlier." Tsukushi nodded her head.

"Tsukushi take the room beside me here!" Yuki gestured. Tsukushi complied but as she reached her hand out to one of the last rooms on the right she found that it would not open. She jiggled the handle more, but it didn't budge.

"Nishikado – san do you have a key for this door?"

"Eh? Oh no that door won't open. Even when we tried the key it wouldn't unlock."

"Why not?"

"The curator said that something might be blocking it from the other side. He's not here right now though. He had to make a trip to Gion so he'll be back tomorrow morning. Why don't you take the room across from it, beside Shigeru." She nodded and crossed the hallway.

She pulled open the heavy Mahogany door, stepping into the room she flicked on the light switch. The room was flooded with light. Immediately to her right, was a closet, dresser and mirror. A large four poster bed was in the center of the room leaning against the left hand wall. It was Cairnsmore finished in black with antique lace. At the foot of the bed was a beautifully carved wooden chest. She walked further into the room placing her hand on it feeling the smooth texture of the wood. Across the bed was a fireplace. The metal chain curtain was drawn across it. She left her bags and purse on the bed, walking over to the French windows. She pulled back the long white curtains and took in the view.

The sky was a deep blue. The first few stars began to emerge decorating the heavens. _What a gorgeous view._ She thought to herself. Turning back around, she smiled and flung herself onto the bed marveling at its softness. The posts of the bed were draped with white silk curtains. They were tied with a burgundy sash that matched the comforter. The sheets were also made of silk. Its cool texture felt wonderful against her skin.

She rolled over onto her belly facing the window. She lifted her legs and began swinging them back and forth humming to herself all the while. _I wonder what room Doumyouji will stay in. Knowing him he'll try to sleep here with me._ She giggled to herself. A sudden creak of the floorboard behind her caused her to stop. Her back stiffened and the hairs on her arms and neck stood on end. She slowly rose up in a sitting position her back still facing the door.

About to turn her head she screamed in terror as a rough hand grabbed her shoulder.

**To be continued…**

Well then this chapter turned out longer than expected. I had actually planned on ending it three pages ago. Wow this is probably my quickest update. I finished this so quickly. On the down side I seem to have distracted myself from my actual school work which is not good. I need to keep my average up or else my early acceptance will be revoked. Bad Ming-chan (Slaps her own hand) no writing except on weekends and only after your work is done! Bad Ming-chan!

Well anyways please read and review I look forward to what you wonderful people think! God and if anyone has any suggestions…I need better chapter titles…

**(1)** I don't know much about the bullet train's interior but I know that it goes super fast. The time it takes to get there should be right. I looked it up…yeah…I'm a loser… but anyways somebody please correct me if I'm wrong. Which I may be. I hate inaccuracies. (Cringes as she thinks about how unbelievable parts of this may sound) Oh well what is important is that the guys would probably not take the train there but the girls would.

**(2) **Karyukai means the 'flower and willow world' Geiko are the women of art and Maiko are the apprentice geisha. I don't know if Gion has any large wooded areas. I was trying to find a map of it but I couldn't find a thing…well in my world there is…just in case there isn't.

**(3) **Oops sorry about that. I did make everyone take rooms on the right. Terribly sorry if I caused a misunderstanding. I must have had a little Freudian slip there. Thinking one thing then writing another. Thanks piglet for catching my blunder.


	5. StepSlide

Piglet: Hi there! It's nice to know that you still read my story. Hehe sorry I just never heard from you after the prologue. But I'm glad you still support my story; makes me smile. And thank you so much for catching my careless mistake. I was so keen on how to write out the design of the house and position of the rooms that I well…got…careless. So the little unknown girl is creeping you out eh? Excellent. I was writing that chapter at 1:30 a.m. in the morning. My computer room is the size of a small walk in closet and the windows that are right above my monitor are partially taped up (don't ask why…long story). So you can imagine what I was feeling while writing in a dark room late at night, the only light coming from the full moon filtering through the partially drawn curtains with the sounds of Beethoven's moonlight sonata to get me in the mood. Needless to say I had to turn on the lights. Well anyways, hope to hear more from you! Enjoy the next chapter. Peace.

CrazyButterfly (Crazy Fairy now right?): Wah! Do you really think it's creepy? Really really? Haha! I hope so. So you think its Tsukasa eh? Hehe. You're not the only one. But you must wait to find out. Oh and I hope you received my e-mail. Again I'm so sorry for the delay.

Lizzie: Yay! A new reader! It's been a while since I updated and I was thinking only two reviews…oh well…I didn't think that anyone else would review anymore until my next chapter. But I was wrong. Thank you very much. I appreciate the time you took to give me your comments. I hope that I do not disappoint you. Peace.

Az09: Wow…after not updating for how long I did not expect anyone else to review...but thanks a lot. Your feedback is encouraging. I've actually never seen the kindaichi case files…I only know it has something to do with mysteries…hehe…and no I did not cry…might have also been because I never ended up watching it….the tape is lost somewhere in the bowels of my basement…anyways enough of my ramblings….enjoy.

Shin-Ora: Thank you. Surreal eh? Hehe…and yes I think you should so write an HYD horror fic…I'd read it!...or maybe you have…I haven't been on fanfiction in a long time and I don't know what's been updated. But anyways…thanks so much for the support! I'll keep doing my best!

Moongur: Really? Is it really scary? Aww you flatter me so….and yes I do plan to finish this story…although how long it will take me is something else…I do try to sit down and write…but nothing likes to come out of my brain…plus I've been terribly busy with school and work but I've been itching to get back at this story…especially since Kamio-sensei recently put out her continued side story of HYD of what happened after the manga series…anyways…enough of this…on to the story!

_Take my photo off the wall_

_  
If it just won't sing for you_

_  
'Cause all that's left has gone away_

_  
And there's nothing there for you to prove_

_  
Oh, look what you've done_

_  
You've made a fool of everyone_

_  
Oh well, it seems likes such fun_

_  
Until you lose what you had won… (Look What You've Done By: Jet)_

Chapter Four – Step…Slide

"Where's Tsukushi? I'm hungry and I want to eat now." Shigeru pouted.

Suddenly the sound of heavy footsteps thudding down the stairs caused their heads to turn towards the door. Tsukushi flung the door open. She walked partway into the room before stopping, her hands planted firmly against her hips. Her jaw was clenched and her brown eyes were narrowed in slight annoyance.

"Tsukushi what's wrong?" Yuki asked slowly approaching her friend. From behind her they saw a sheepish looking Rui. He was rubbing his head absently.

"Nothings wrong, except this one over here…" She jerked her thumb back in Rui's general direction. "…decides to ask me to come down to dinner."

"So? What happened?" Akira prodded.

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

_About to turn her head she screamed in terror as a rough hand grabbed her shoulder. She swung her opposite arm out blindly trying to ward off her unknown attacker. Her open palm connected with a loud smack against a solid object. _

_Tsukushi suddenly found herself leaning precariously over the bed, as her assailant suddenly released her shoulder. With nothing to hold her back, her forward momentum caused her to fall gracelessly of the bed; crashing face first onto the wood floor. _

"_Ow…" she groaned while trying to get up. She shakily pushed herself up digging her hands into the soft material…_

_She froze. Carefully she flexed her hands. She opened her eyes only realizing that she had not opened them yet. She looked down in horror. She was sitting on top of a very startled looking Rui her hands placed right on top of his chest; her fingers grasping the warm flesh through the thin material of his shirt._

"_Makino, I had no idea. But we shouldn't. It's not right." He said, the corner of his mouth moving into a mischievous little smirk. _

_All the blood in her body suddenly rushed up to fill her face. She hastily stood up and turned away from him. _

"_Hanazawa Rui what are you doing in here? I thought you were sleeping." _

"_I was just calling you to come down and eat." He replied as he stood up and brushed off his pants._

_She whirled on him narrowing her eyes slightly. "You shouldn't have scared me like that. My heart almost leapt into my throat!" She cried._

_He chuckled at her nervousness. "Are you mad?"_

_She narrowed her eyes again but a tell tale little smirk formed on her face. "You…don't do that again. You can just call my name." Then she playfully hit his shoulder. _

_He smiled. "You violent woman. But you know your face was priceless…" He scrunched up his face in a poor imitation of her former expression. Then he began to laugh. She hadn't heard him laugh like that since he had first gotten his drivers license and had decided to 'kindly' drive her to school. "I should do that again."_

_She rolled her eyes then stopped halfway. "What! You mean you did that on purpose?" He continued to laugh. She grabbed a pillow off the bed and swung it at him catching him in the face. She repeatedly hit him with the pillow all the while yelling that if he ever did that again she'd 'fix him so that he'd never be able to take another nap'._

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

Akira and Soujirou were trying unsuccessfully to suppress their laughter. Shigeru was trying to stifle her giggles behind one discreet hand. Yuki was smiling knowing full well how easy it was to scare Tsukushi. Sakurako merely shook her head in amusement.

"Oh stop it all of you!" Tsukushi huffed and strode across the room. She sat herself on one of the chairs by the table with a huff, crossing her arms.

The rest of them took their seats. A young maid suddenly appeared to serve them the first course. Shigeru chattered excitedly about her room and the view. "How are the rooms on the right Yuki?"

"Oh I love it! I've never slept in a four-poster before. Are you supposed to draw the curtains when you sleep though?"

"Only if you want some privacy." Akira smirked wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at her. He leisurely took a sip of his chilled sake and quickly choked on the liquid upon catching the hard glare from Tsukushi across the table.

"Mimasaka – san! No perverted comments while eating please! I don't want Yuki's innocence to be tainted by you!"

"Relax Makino, he was just teasing." Soujirou interjected.

She grumbled an incoherent response under her breath, something about perverts and reverse-pedophiles. She carefully spooned some of the steaming white cream soup that the maid was offering her onto her plate. After all the years she spent eating with the F4, Tsukushi could still not have other people serve her. She blew on the hot liquid and gingerly placed the spoon in her mouth. The warm liquid slid easily down her throat, its creamy texture coating her tongue.

"Wah! Oishii desu!" she cried already forgetting her earlier annoyance. They continued to eat in silence, once in a while someone would ask about the house. As they began their third course, Tsukushi noticed that it was the same maid serving the meal.

"Nishikado – san? Are there any other people in the house other than us?"

"It's just us now. The staff goes home at the end of every day."

"They don't live on the grounds?" Sakurako asked.

Soujirou cleared his throat and wiped his hands on his napkin before replying. "No. There is another smaller village just twenty minutes away from us; towards the east. The house originally was just maintained by the previous family and since it's been closed for several years there was no real need to have any live-in staff. Course, I don't know how often I'll use this place so I might have an addition attached to accommodate more people."

"No live-in staff? But then what—?" Tsukushi stopped with spoon mid-way towards her mouth.

"What is it Tsukushi? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Huh?" Tsukushi placed her spoon down and looked over at Yuki. "Oh, no, it's just earlier when we were just getting in; you know when I dropped my purse? I thought I saw someone in one of the upstairs windows. I thought it may have been a maid or something."

"Oh it was probably a doll that you saw." Akira offered. He took a sip of sake before turning towards Soujirou. "Didn't you mention to me before that the previous owner used to make hand-crafted dolls or something?"

"Oh that's right." Soujirou said while snapping his fingers. "The curator mentioned something about the previous tenants not taking everything with them. I haven't been into some of the store rooms so there may be some still around. Where did you see it?" He asked while placing a piece of food into his mouth.

"It was…" Tsukushi scrunched up her face trying to imagine the layout of the house. "I think it was one of the bedrooms…yeah…I'm pretty sure it was the room I tried to get into earlier. The locked one, but I could have sworn it was a person; whatever it was even backed away from the window."

"Maybe it fell over." Sakurako suggested.

"Yeah because when we went into the house first we heard a soft thud coming from the upstairs." Shigeru added.

"That's most likely what you saw." Rui commented in a matter of fact tone.

"I guess." But Tsukushi still wasn't sure. Nonetheless she picked up her spoon to finish eating. The rest of the meal was dominated by light conversation; school, business, and the like. There was no more mention of the house.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Wah! What a nice dinner! I'm so full! Thanks for the meal!" Yuki smiled contentedly while patting her stomach. She smiled around the table at her friends who wore equal expressions of satisfaction.

Tsukushi lifted her arms as the maid quickly circled around the table collecting their dishes. With a whirl of her skirt she carefully walked away, disappearing into a door that she assumed led to the kitchen. "Hey it's still early. Is there anything we can do?" She asked while glancing at the clock on the wall. It read 9:23 p.m.

"We could go into town."

"Let's sleep."

"But isn't it an hour drive away?"

"Sleep is calling."

"True."

"Sleeeeeeeep…" Was the long drawn out reply from a certain individual that shall remain nameless.

"…"

"We can go into town tomorrow. During the day."

"Night equals sleep."

"Maybe in _your_ house. But for me night time is a time to be doing _other_ things."

"…"

"How about a movie then?" Tsukushi asked.

"OOOOH! Yeah! Let's have a movie night!" Shigeru squealed excitedly clapping her hands. Before a consensus could be met Shigeru was already up and ushering people out of their seats. "C'mon it'll be fun!" She linked her arm with Rui's and Sakurako's to try and hoist them out of their seats.

"Move it people! Let's go!"

Everyone slowly got out of their seats and followed an energized Shigeru out across the main foyer and towards the common room. She pulled open the double doors, flicked on the light and stepped in. The room was bright and spacious albeit a little cool. Tsukushi rubbed her arms absently as she stepped over the threshold. The room like all the other rooms in the house had a fairly high ceiling. The walls were a rich red colour. It complimented the off white carpet nicely. At the left end of the room was a billiards table. It was situated beside a pin ball machine. Several lounge chairs were loosely circled around a fireplace to Tsukushi's right. Unlike the rest of the house, this room was lit by modern lights along the walls and floor lights set into the carpet.

"So Tsukushi what do you want to see? Everyone said it didn't really matter to them. What about you any preference?" Shigeru asked as she rifled through Soujirou's DVD collection. "Tsukushi?" She looked up to see Tsukushi still looking around the room.

"Tsukushi – chan?" Yuki called to her finally getting her to turn around. "Shigeru – san is asking you about what movie you might want to watch."

"Oh doesn't matter anything will be fine." She rubbed her arms again and glanced around at the others.

Soujirou was showing Yuki and Sakurako the pin ball machine. Rui had crashed on one of the lounge chairs and looked like he was about to fall asleep while Akira was setting up some wood in order to start the fireplace.

"Hey guys I'm going to go grab a sweater from my room. I'll be right back."

She turned around and walked out the door shutting it closed behind her. Her slippered feet padded soundlessly up the grand staircase. Her eyes moved upward at the large painting at the top. The princesses' deep set eye stared back at her. Tsukushi suddenly stopped her ascent up the stairs and narrowed her eyes in confusion. For a crazy second there she thought the eyes were really staring back at her. Almost like they could see right through to her soul. _Looking at me…really…. It's just painted really well. _She shook her head and continued up to the second story. She quickly made her way down the short corridor to her room and rifled through her luggage for a sweater. She finally selected a blue zip up hoodie. She put it on, and turned towards the exit when suddenly from the corner of her eye she saw her open door shut close.

The resounding thud caused her to jump slightly. She could faintly hear the sound of light steps outside her door. _That Rui. He never learns. _She frowned and strode quickly towards her door.

"Hanazawa Rui what did I tell you about—" She huffed as she grasped the handle and pulled it open. But Rui wasn't there. Tsukushi was alone with only the silence of the hallway to greet her. She stepped out into the empty corridor her frown deepening.

"What the—?" Tsukushi took a couple tentative steps into the hall before closing her door. She looked around once more hearing nothing. She sighed, shrugging her shoulders. She took a step ahead down the corridor. However a sudden noise made her stop. She slowly turned her head in the direction of …

… the room with the locked door. She held her breath and listened closely. She could hear the barest hint of movement. She slowly walked toward it and laid her ear against the wood door. One hand she placed near her head, the other rested lightly on the door knob. She swallowed thickly at what she could hear. _Mice? No—it's… Footsteps?_ From within the room Tsukushi could faintly hear some_thing_ walking. But it was labored. As if they were dragging one leg.

_Step. _

_Slide. _

_Step. _

_Slide. _

The movement was so slow that Tsukushi almost didn't notice that the sound was approaching the door. She cautiously took one step back. Two steps. Three. Her eyes widened as she saw the door knob appear to turn. On instinct she quickly turned to bolt and ended up crashing into a very startled Yuki.

"Whoa! Tsukushi what's wrong?" Yuki asked holding her friend up.

"Eh?" Tsukushi turned her head back to the door. The knob was still and the noise gone.

"Tsukushi?"

"Huh? Oh, I thought I heard something. But I guess it was nothing." Was her tentative reply as she straightened up.

"Okay, well I just came up to get you. The movie is starting now. Let's go down together." Tsukushi nodded and followed her friend downstairs. Back inside the common room, Akira had gotten the fire going and someone had turned off the rest of the lights. Shigeru had selected a comedy. Soon everyone was laughing engrossed in the movie's plot. Everyone but Tsukushi. She sat quietly on the floor in front of Yuki just staring blankly at the screen. Her mind going over what just happened.

_It must have been some mice or something. Or something rolled over on the floor. _She thought to herself. She repeated it over and over trying to convince herself. Once she adequately drilled it into her head she was able to focus on the movie and enjoy herself a little.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………...

"Haha! That was a funny movie!" Shigeru laughed.

"I liked the part where the girl was trying to make a good exit but ended up walking into a street light." Yuki giggled.

"Oh my, it's getting late. I need my beauty rest people." Sakurako yawned.

"For once I agree." Akira said. Everyone got up from their various positions and stretched. They were laughing lightly amongst themselves as they made their way to their bedrooms.

"Good night everyone!"

"Night."

"Nighty night."

"Oyasumi!"

"Sleeeeeeeep…"

Tsukushi closed her door and quickly got ready for bed. The day had been long and her muscles ached slightly from sitting on the floor for so long. She glanced at her bags and decided to unpack tomorrow. She promptly flopped onto the bed and crawled under the sheets. Her eyes soon drooped heavily with fatigue. The last thing she was aware of before losing consciousness was the sound of steps and slides…

**To be Continued…**

A/N: Well…it has certainly been a long time since my last update. But here I am alive and well. Thanks a lot to those who support me. I really appreciate it. You've all motivated me to start writing again. Now to anyone wondering. I do intend to finish writing this story…I just don't know how often I'll be able to sit down and write. But with continual support I'll try my best to write well and update frequently. And by frequently I mean hopefully more than once a year.

Well review if you like and feel free to point out any inaccuracies or inconsistencies. Peace.


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